Inspectors need to take many photos. This is not always the case for auditors.

Inspectors need to be familiar with the product being checked. Many auditors have no clue about the processes at play in the organizations they visit (and in some cases that’s a problem).

Many auditors are certified.

—

Granted, these are broad generalizations. There are more commonalities between some second-party ‘tick-the-box’ audits and some inspections, than between those same audits some types of third-party audits. Different companies have different views of how a ‘factory audit’ is to be conducted.

As I wrote last week, some companies like their auditors to suggest improvement actions, while others don’t like that idea. Similarly, some companies want the inspector to follow up on corrections while he is in the factory and guide the factory staff on what to do, while others believe this can lead to undesired side effects.

Quality Inspections & Supply Chain Management in China

This blog is written by Renaud Anjoran, an ASQ Certified Quality Engineer who has been involved in Chinese manufacturing since 2005.
Renaud's company performs factory audits/evaluations, product QC inspections, and factory process improvements.